How to Buy Travel Insurance

Written By Casey ClagueAuthor

Reviewed By Steven BennaEditor

Last Updated: June 30, 2025September 22, 2026 — 10 min read

If you’ve ever bought insurance, you’re probably familiar with how complicated it can be. Sorting through an array of providers, reading the fine print to find out what’s actually covered, and choosing the best policy for your needs is time-consuming and often stressful. But buying travel insurance doesn’t have to be. We’ve created this guide to help you pick the right coverage, get a quote, and be on your way with ease.

Determine Your Travel Insurance Needs

When purchasing travel insurance, remember there’s no one-size-fits-all plan. What you need depends on factors like where you’re going, how much you’ve invested, and what kinds of risks you’re most concerned about. Asking yourself a few key questions can help you narrow down your options and avoid paying for unnecessary coverage.

What are your biggest travel concerns?

Travel insurance policies are made up of a combination of different benefits. Travel insurance benefits outline the specific type of protection a policy will offer. The more benefits a policy offers, the more opportunities you have to file a claim if your trip takes a turn for the worse. 

Start by identifying what worries you most about your trip. Some concerns might include:

• Losing money if you have to cancel: An illness, family emergency, or work conflict could arise at any time and keep you from embarking on the trip you’ve planned. Travel insurance with trip cancellation coverage reimburses you if you have to cancel unexpectedly.
• Getting sick or injured while traveling: It’s tough to anticipate when you might get sick, and injuries can happen even if you’re not scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro. Medical coverage within travel insurance helps cover the cost of doctor visits, hospital stays, and even emergency evacuations so you don’t incur major medical bills abroad.
• Losing your bags or missing a flight: Even the most carefully planned trips can be disrupted by delayed flights or lost luggage. Travel insurance can help cover extra expenses for essentials or rebooking fees when things don’t go smoothly.
• Encountering bad weather or natural disasters: Hurricanes, wildfires, or other natural events can force airlines to cancel flights or make destinations temporarily unsafe. Travel insurance helps recoup your costs if Mother Nature puts a damper on your plans.
• Needing to return home early: A family emergency or personal illness might force you to cut your trip short. With trip interruption coverage, you’ll get reimbursed for the unused portion of your trip, plus any additional transportation costs to get back home.
• Requiring emergency evacuation: If you’re traveling in a remote area or one with limited medical facilities, travel insurance can cover the cost of emergency medical evacuations to the nearest hospital if you’re sick or injured. This coverage often includes evacuations due to civil unrest or security threats, so you can get to safety quickly without incurring overwhelming expenses.

Keep in mind that your concerns may change based on the type of trip you’re taking. For example, the essential coverage for a mountain-climbing adventure may differ from what you’d need for a weekend beach getaway.

Do you need a comprehensive plan with trip cancellation?

For travelers who want the broadest level of protection, comprehensive plans are beneficial because they bundle several types of coverage, including trip cancellation, interruption, medical emergencies, and baggage protection. We recommend these plans for travelers who want the most well-rounded coverage for a trip.

Trip cancellation is one of the most valuable benefits in a comprehensive travel insurance plan, especially if you think you might need to change plans at the last minute. If you have a hectic schedule, unpredictable work obligations, or family responsibilities that could interfere with your trip, this type of coverage can help you recover nonrefundable costs if you need to cancel for a covered reason. If you need extra flexibility, you may want to consider plans with cancel for any reason coverage.

How much coverage do you need?

Consider the total cost of your trip, your destination, and the potential costs if something goes wrong, such as you or a member of your party getting sick or injured. If you’re an older traveler or going on an international trip, you may want higher medical and emergency evacuation limits or plans suited to seniors, while you might only need basic coverage if you’re taking a short domestic trip. Many issuers allow you to customize coverage amounts to match your risk level and budget.

Do you have existing coverage?

Before you buy travel insurance, check to see what coverage you already have through your credit card, health insurance, and other resources (such as travel loyalty programs or membership organizations like AAA or AARP). Some credit cards offer limited travel protections, and your health plan likely covers medical costs while traveling domestically. Knowing what you already have can help you avoid paying for duplicate coverage and focus on filling any gaps.

Start a Travel Insurance Quote

Once you understand the coverage you need, the next step is pricing plans. With Squaremouth, this process is quick and simple because you can compare dozens of policies from major travel insurance providers in one place.

Here’s how it works:

1. Enter your trip details: Start by entering basic information about your trip, such as destination(s), travel dates, and your total prepaid trip cost.
2. Add traveler information: You’ll be asked for each traveler’s age. This is important because age can impact the price of a policy, with older travelers typically paying more due to the increased incidence of medical claims.
3. Choose your coverage: For example, you can select a comprehensive plan that includes trip cancellation or one that only covers medical expenses. Squaremouth filters the results so you only see policies that match your specifications, which helps simplify the comparison process.
4. View your quotes: After entering all the required information, you’ll see a list of available policies from multiple providers, all tailored to your trip.

Compare Available Policies and Prices

Once you have the list of policies, you can compare them to see which one is the best for your trip and budget. When comparing plans, it’s important to look beyond just the price. Review the benefits included, pay close attention to the coverage amounts for each, and weigh this info against what you’d lose if an unexpected event disrupted your travel. A lower-cost plan might save you money up front but offer less protection if something goes wrong.

The cost of a travel insurance policy is referred to as its premium. Providers will take into account your age, trip length, and other trip details to determine the premium for their plans. 

When searching for insurance, you’ll see a wide range of prices for similar coverage. Just because one plan costs more does not mean that it offers better protection for your trip. We always recommend purchasing the lowest-priced policy that meets your coverage needs. 

The provider’s reputation and customer ratings are also important factors. You might get more peace of mind (and less hassle if you have to make a claim) by going with a more reputable provider, although these plans might cost more. Ultimately, the best policy isn’t always the cheapest. It’s the one that gives you the right coverage for your trip and the confidence that you’re protected if something goes wrong.

Where to Buy Travel Insurance

Throughout the trip planning process, you’ll likely encounter many opportunities to protect your trip. While it can be tempting to purchase the first policy you see, it’s important to take a moment to consider your options, as the best coverage may vary depending on your destination, itinerary, and comfort with risk. 

Below are the top places you can find travel insurance ahead of your upcoming trip: 

Travel Insurance Comparison Sites

Bias aside, the best place to buy travel insurance is from a comparison marketplace. Using a comparison site like Squaremouth to find coverage allows you to sort through 100+ policies in minutes and perform side-by–side analysis on the industry’s most popular plans. 

Travel insurance comparison sites save you time by eliminating the need to shop across multiple providers and money by making it easy to compare prices and coverage from top-rated plans in one place. 

This approach is recommended for all types of travelers who want the best possible trip protection at the lowest possible prices.

Insurance Providers (Direct Purchase)

Buying directly from a travel insurance provider offers a straightforward, no-middleman approach to coverage. This option gives you direct access to a company’s full range of plans, along with provider-specific customer support. 

However, since you’re only viewing one provider’s offerings at a time, it can be difficult to gauge whether you’re getting the best value without shopping around elsewhere. 

This approach is best suited for travelers who already have a preferred provider or know exactly which policy they want.

Airlines, Cruise Lines, and Travel Suppliers

Many airlines, cruise lines, and travel suppliers offer insurance during the booking process, making it a convenient add-on when purchasing your trip. Even vacation rental companies like Airbnb and VRBO now offer some form of trip protection. These plans are often tailored to your itinerary and underwritten by a reputable insurer. 

While known for their convenience, these policies are typically more expensive and less robust than travel insurance plans that you would buy from a third-party provider. Customization is also hard to come by when purchasing through a travel supplier, with few offering the option to apply upgrades or add-ons for additional protection. 

This approach is best for travelers who prioritize convenience and want a quick, bundled solution without comparing multiple plans.

Travel Credit Cards

Many travel credit cards now include built-in insurance benefits when you use the card to pay for your trip. This trip protection usually includes popular benefits like Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Baggage Loss, and Trip Delay at no additional cost.

However, coverage limits are typically low, and many travel credit cards do not offer essential benefits like Emergency Medical or Medical Evacuation. For that reason, we don’t recommend replacing standard travel insurance with your travel credit card perks, but rather using it as supplemental protection to fill in smaller gaps.

This approach is best for travel credit cardholders who want to use their complimentary trip protection to supplement their travel insurance.

Travel Agents and Advisors

Travel agents and advisors can help simplify the process by recommending travel insurance based on your specific trip and needs. Since travel agents plan, book, and manage travel itineraries for a living, many have a unique perspective on travel insurance. This personalized guidance and expertise can be especially valuable for complex or high-cost itineraries.

However, agents may be biased towards certain providers they partner with, which can reduce transparency and limit your options. Travel agents and their services can be expensive, depending on the level of detail.  

This approach is best for travelers who are already working with a travel agent to plan their trip and want personalized expert guidance to help them buy travel insurance. 

Other Sources of Travel Insurance

While less common, it may be possible to get travel insurance through these other sources:

• Employers: Some companies offer travel insurance as part of their benefits package, particularly for business travel purposes.
• Membership Organizations: Groups like AAA or AARP may provide access to travel insurance plans for members.
• Online Travel Agencies (OTAs): Booking platforms like Expedia and Booking.com sometimes offer insurance at checkout, typically as a convenient add-on to flights, hotels, or vacation packages.
• Banks and Credit Unions: Certain financial institutions offer travel insurance products or perks tied to premium accounts or services.
• Foreign Insurance Companies: Travelers may have the option to purchase coverage from international providers, which is sometimes mandatory when destinations require travel insurance. 

Purchase and Travel with Peace of Mind

Once you’ve found the best-fitting policy for your trip, you’re ready to buy it and travel with the protection you need. Travel insurance gives you the freedom to travel knowing you’re prepared for the unexpected. From medical emergencies to missed flights, you’ll have support and coverage if things don’t go as planned, so you can focus on enjoying your experience, not stressing about the what-ifs.